Reusable container

ABSTRACT

A reusable container to transport groceries and the like from the point of purchase which can be closed to a condition for storage in which the container utilizes minimum space to an open position to receive the groceries and the like.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is a Non-Prov of Prov (35 USC 119(e)) application60/968,173 filed on Aug. 27, 2007, which is herein incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a reusable container fortransporting groceries and the like from the point of purchase and moreparticularly to such a container which can be readily broken down forstorage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion new plastic bags are produced andused by consumers worldwide each year, with billions of the bags endingup as litter. In the United States, over 350 billion plastic bags, sacksand wraps are consumed annually. The amount of energy required toproduce these plastic bags and the pollution associated with thedisposal thereof is enormous.

When individuals purchase groceries, plastic bags are typically used tocontain and transport purchased items from the store to a finaldestination. The used plastic bags are usually disposed of in thegarbage or provided for recycling. Although recycling can be a morefavorable alternative for the disposal of the plastic bags, evenrecycling requires additional energy to produce items from the recycledplastic. As such, the use of cloth bags and heavy plastic bags has beenimplemented for containers that can be used multiple times fortransporting purchased grocery items. However, such cloth bags and heavyplastic bags have a limited lifetime of use and promote clutter ofstorage space during storage. Therefore, a container for transportingitems that can be reused and is easily and conveniently stored when notin use is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a simple to use foldable plasticcontainer. As such, the present invention has utility as a foldablecontainer that can be reused for containing and transporting items.

The foldable container has five panels. One of the panels is a centerpanel and four of the panels are side panels. The center panel isrectangular in shape with four edges, each of the four edges attached toan adjoining edge of one of the side panels. Each side panel isoppositely disposed from and spaced apart from a side panel that isacross the center panel. Each side panel also has an outer edge that isoppositely disposed from the adjoining edge that is attached to one ofthe edges of the center panel. The outer edge of the side panel adjoinstwo outer corners of the panel, each outer corner having an attachmentregion. Each side panels can be rotated or pivoted about its adjoiningedge until all of the side panels are generally at a 90 degree anglewith respect to the center panel. In this position the attachmentregions of the outer corners for one side panel are proximate to theattachment regions of adjacent side panels and thereby affords for theside panels to be attached to each other and form a container. Thecontainer can be used to contain and transport items, such as groceryitems, and afterward the attachment of adjacent attachment regions canbe terminated and the panels folded upon each other. Folding the panelsupon each other affords a flat structure that can be easily stored. Insome instances, a container that has been assembled can be placed withina shopping cart and used while shopping. In other instances, anassembled container can be attached to the side of a shopping cart andused to contain small and/or delicate items.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention can be had by referringto the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the container of the presentinvention in a collapsed position;

FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the container shown in FIG. 1 readyto be secured in condition for use;

FIG. 3 is aside view of the container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ready foruse;

FIG. 4 is a side perspective view of another preferred container of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating the containers of the present inventionready for use in a grocery shopping cart;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective of the container of the present inventionbeing folded into a storage condition; and

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of the container of the presentinvention in a folded storage condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to FIG. 1, a preferred container of the present inventionis shown generally at reference numeral 5. The foldable container 5 hasa center panel 10, the panel 10 having four edges 11, 12, 13 and 14.Joined to the center panel 10 at the respective edges are four sidepanels 100, 200, 300 and 400. The side panel 100 has an adjoining edge110 that is attached to the edge 11 of the center panel 10. Likewise,the side panels 200, 300 and 400 have adjoining edges 210, 310 and 410that are attached to the edges 12, 13 and 14, respectively, of thecenter panel 10. A “living hinge” is preferably formed at the attachmentof the edges 11, 12, 13, 14 with the panels 100, 200, 300 and 400respectively.

The side panels 100, 200, 300 and 400 each have an outer edge 120, 220,320 and 420, respectively. The outer edge 120 of the side panel 100joins an outer corner 122 to an outer corner 124. The same is true withthe other side panels as illustrated in FIG. 1. Proximate to each of theouter corners is an attachment region. For example, the side panel 100has an attachment region 123 proximate to the outer corner 122 and anattachment region 125 proximate the outer corner 124. The same is truefor the other side panels.

Upon rotation or pivoting of the side panels 100, 200, 300 and 400 aboutthe adjoining edge 110, 210, 310 and 410 respectively, adjacent sidepanels have attachment regions proximate to each other. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 2, the attachment region 325 of the side panel 300is proximate to the attachment region 423 of the side panel 400. Alsoillustrated in FIG. 2 is the use of an attachment strap 500, whichaffords for the attachment of the attachment region 325 to theattachment region 423. In this manner, the side panel 300 is attached tothe side panel 400, the panel 400 is attached to the side panel 100, theside panel 100 is attached to the side panel 200, and the side panel 200is attached to the panel 300. Thus the container 5 made from five panelscan be assembled, disassembled and reassembled a plurality of times asneeded. It is appreciated that the attachment regions and the attachmentstrap can include any attachment mechanism known to those skilled in theart, illustratively including hook-and-loop fasteners, clips, buttons,snaps, releasable adhesives, and the like. It is also appreciated thatthe center panel 10 and the side panels 100, 200, 300 and 400 are madefrom polymer materials.

Also included with at least two of the side panels can be a handlemechanism. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the side panels 100 and 300 havea handle mechanism 130 and 330, respectively. Although the figuresillustrate the handle mechanism in the form of a slot within the sidepanel, any handle mechanism known to those skilled in the art can beused illustratively including a slot, a lip extending from the sidepanel, a handle attached to the side panel, a knob attached to the sidepanel and the like.

Another embodiment of the foldable container is illustrated in FIG. 4 atreference numeral 7. The foldable container 7 has a center panel (notnumbered) and four side panels 150, 250, 350 and 450. Similar to theembodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 has anattachment region at opposite corners of the side panels. For example,the side panel 350 has an attachment region 373 and an attachment region375. The side panel 450 has an attachment region 473 and an attachmentregion 475, the attachment region 473 being proximate to the attachmentregion 375 when the side panels are in an upright position. Thus in alike manner to the embodiment described above, the center panel and fourside panels which are connected by “living hinges” to provide a foldablecontainer that can be used to contain and/or transport items. Inaddition, the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 includes a pair of attachmentregions 480 with attachment straps 482. The straps 482 afford forattaching the foldable container 7 to another object. Similar to theembodiment described above, the attachment regions 480 and theattachment straps 482 can include any attachment mechanism known tothose skilled in the art, illustratively including hook-and-loopfasteners, straps that attach using snaps, straps that attach usingbuttons, straps that attach using clips and the like.

Turning now to FIG. 5, an illustration of one type of use for thefoldable container 5 and the foldable container 7 is shown. The foldablecontainer 5 can be placed within a shopping cart SC. In some instances,the size of the foldable container 5 affords for the container to fitinto the bottom of a large shopping cart when filled with items. Theside panels of the foldable container 5 are high enough to allow for atwo-liter bottle to stand up inside the container and not have the topof the bottle protrude above the side panel. It is appreciated that thisheight of the side panels affords for the foldable container 5 to sit inthe bottom of most automobile trunks full of items and yet allow a userto close the trunk lid without banging into the foldable container 5and/or items being carried therein. It is also appreciated that for carswith very small trunks, the foldable container 5 can be placed on theback seat or on the front seat.

The foldable container 7 can have a size that affords for the containerto fit inside and hang on a standard grocery cart, thereby allowing anindividual to place small and/or delicate items therein. It is alsoappreciated that the foldable container 7 can be removed from thestandard grocery cart during a checkout of the grocery items and thenafford for the transport of the small and/or delicate items to a home orfinal destination without the use of plastic or paper bags. The heightof the side panels of the foldable container 7 affords for the containerto used for its designed purpose but not so high as to interfere withother items placed in the cart SC while shopping.

In an example, when a consumer reaches the checkout counter to purchaseitems that have been selected, the foldable container 7 is simplyremoved from the shopping cart while still full and placed on thecounter along with other items being purchased. During the bagging ofthe purchased items, the bagger can be handed a tote bag containingfoldable container 5 or a plurality of foldable containers 5. Thefoldable container 5 is then removed from the tote bag, opened and theside panels secured to each other with the attachment mechanism. Thebagger then simply places the purchased items into the foldablecontainer 5 instead of using plastic or paper bags. Once the foldablecontainer 5 is full, the container with the items can be placed into theshopping cart SC and taken to a car, removed from the shopping cart SC,placed into the car and then transported to the home or finaldestination. Once the consumer has reached the home or finaldestination, they simply remove the foldable container 5 and/or foldablecontainer 7 and take the container(s) into the kitchen or other room foremptying. After the foldable container(s) is empty, the attachmentmechanism is released at the adjacent attachment regions and thefoldable container folded up as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. The foldedcontainer 5 and/or container 7 can then be placed into the tote bag andstored conveniently and efficiently in the consumer's car such that thecontainers will be available next time they are needed. In this manner,the use of the foldable containers described herein can greatly reducethe number of plastic or paper bags used by consumers with only a smallamount of effort. Although illustrated with respect to a shopping cartSC and the purchase of grocery items, the use of the foldable containersdescribed herein can be used for shopping of non-grocery items andnon-shopping purposes.

It is contemplated that to encourage use of the containers of thepresent invention grocery chain stores and others may utilize a programwhich provides based on the number times that the reusable containersare used by a customer. Obviously each time the customer uses thecontainer the grocery store or the like will save the cost of providingplastic or paper bags for the customer. To enable the grocery retaileror the like to maintain a record of use the container 5 is provided witha bar code 520 (FIG. 3) which can be used to identify the user andrecord use by that particular user. Points and prizes then can beawarded at different levels of use.

While the containers 5 and 7 have been indicated as being produced froma polymer material it should be apparent that other materials can beused as long as the material provides a sturdy and wear resistantcontainer.

The foregoing drawings, discussion and description are illustrative ofspecific embodiments of the present invention, but they are not meant tobe limitations upon the practice thereof. Numerous modifications andvariations of the invention will be readily apparent to those of skillin the art in view of the teaching presented herein. It is the followingclaims, including all equivalents, which define the scope of theinvention.

1. A foldable container for carrying groceries or the like andcomprising: a center panel; a plurality of side panels with each of saidside panels joined respectively to an edge of said center panel by aliving hinge whereby said center panel and said side panels are operableto fold to a condition with pairs of side panels adjacent to each otherto form a container; and means for releasably attaching said adjacentside panels one to the other.
 2. The container as defined in claim 1 andin which said container is foldable to a position in which said sidepanels are atop said center panel.
 3. The container as defined in claim1 and in which said panels are constructed of a polymer material.
 4. Thecontainer as defined in claim 1 and in which said attaching meanscomprises hoop and loop fasteners attachable to adjacent side panels ofsaid container.
 5. The container as defined in claim 1 and includingindicia on said container for identifying the user of the container andeach time the container is used.